GUIDE TO SMACKING

July 20, 2006by: jovial_cynic

EDITOR'S NOTE: People keep commenting as though the above guide was written by me, or that I support it. Please CAREFULLY read what I wrote below and understand that I am *not* saying that I agree with it. I clearly state that the above text is extreme and unreasonable.

Folks, really. Read my whole post before you comment.

"Family Integrity," a New Zealand-based Christian group, recently published an eight-page booklet outlining how parents should smack their children. (Just to remove some buzzword anxiety, "smack" is "spank" in American english.) To the left is an excerpt from the manual.

Now, I'm an advocate of spanking children. If you aren't, that's fine -- a parent really should have the right to raise their children the way they feel is appropriate for them. But to suggest that parents should not be allowed to spank children is ridiculous.

I think that after you've exhausted dialogue with a 2-year old, and the child remains defiant, a swat to the butt with a flat wooden spoon is appropriate.

To be fair to both sides, I do understand the risk of abuse -- there are parents who take spanking too far. And it's not easy to come up with a pounds-per-square-inch measurement of how much force can be applied to a single smack, nor how many smacks should be applied. Children are unique, and circumstances are unique. It's a tough call.

I do NOT believe, however, that "smacking may be a 10-to-15 minute process." Nor do I believe that you should spank your kid harder if your kid is angry after a smack. That's LUNACY.

In unrelated news, the US conducted a successful missile test this morning. What the world must think... we just got done condemning North Korea for their their missile test, and shortly afterwards we conduct our own. I think the world needs less missiles.

Luke said:
I read the list first and thought it was a joke! I agree with spanking as an effective means of discipline (depending on the child [Jake]), but yeah, 15mins is on the emotional permenant scarring radar for me. You don't want your kids to fear you (reverence aside).July 20, 2006

jovial_cynic said:
I wish it was a joke. What's crazy is that "Family Integrity" is the group responsible for defending Christians against legislation in New Zealand that'll ban spanking.

It's almost hard to determine which is worse, you know?July 20, 2006

Kristen said:
I wonder why they don't believe time out, etc., deals with the "problem of sin in the heart," yet spanking does.

jovial_cynic said:
Yeah... carried out to its logical conclusion, it promotes a very strange theology: sin can be removed from a person by exerting physical force upon them. Thus, men should beat their wives for failing to listen to them, since it clearly deals with the problem of sin in the heart.July 20, 2006

Dana said:
How the fuck can you hit a child? It is absolutely ridiculous. Hitting children is the worst thing a parent can do to a child. It produces long-term social and mental problems. You must be a real asshole or should I say an awful parent. To control your kids, you hit them. Please tell me what lesson they learn from this? If I was your child I would come after you when I grew up to get back at you!February 19, 2007

jovial_cynic said:
Hitting a child is absolutely ridiculous, I agree. But spanking and hitting are certainly not the same thing. If you don't know the difference, by all means, you should not be involved in childcare or discipline.

In any event, children who are spanked in a reasonable manner don't grow up wanting to get back at their parents. February 20, 2007

Toyna said:
THIS IS A BUNCH OF BULL-S**T AND YOU KNOW IT! Spanking a child is carried to far on some parents' mind.March 27, 2007

Jackie said:
Smacking a child does not do them any good!!!! Yes the Bible says to discipline your child but this is going too overboard!! Studies have shown that hitting a child teaches them that by hitting they will solve their problems. Is that rerally what we want to teach? Studies also show that children built up fear and anxiety! you are hurting your child Physically, emotionally and socially!! May 10, 2007

jackie said:
One more thing.. any technique that is hurting the child in any aspect either physically, emotionally or socially is considered child abuse!!!! come on children are also humans but they have not been shaped!! it is up to us the providers to instruct them with love, respect and be firm but not hit your child out of frustration! wehn you hit a child it is out of your own frustration!! Come on child development advocates lets put a STOP to this!!!!!!!!May 10, 2007

jACKIE said:
nO PROBLEM!! WE MUST PUT A STOP TO THIS BIZAR BEHAVIOR!! IT IS NOT THE CHILDREN IT IS THE PARENTS THAT DO NOT KNOW HOW TO APPROPRIATELY DISCIPLINE THEIR CHILD! YES I SAID DISCIPLINE NOT PUNISHING!!!May 11, 2007